2015 NFL Mock Draft: 3.0

I completed most of this mock before the news of Marcus Peters dismissal from the Washington football program broke. His stock will definitely fall, but I still think he will be a late first round pick.

Also, Connor Cook is not in this mock. He stated he is going to return for his senior season at Michigan State.

The
former top recruit might be the best defensive prospect in the country.
Leonard Williams combines defensive tackle size and defensive end
quickness. He could play all along the front, and could have a Richard
Seymour like NFL impact as an end in a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme.

Despite some season long injury woes, Williams has been a presence for the Trojans all year. Showing his strength, closing ability and pass rushing techinque, he is a complete defensive lineman. His signature performance was an 11 tackle, 1 sack performance against Stanford.

The Raiders are one of the oldest and worst teams in the NFL, not a good combination for short or long term success. Oakland needs to go with the best player available. Williams is a pretty safe prospect, and along with Khalil Mack, will give the Raiders two solid defenders to build around.

Randy Gregory was a raw JC transfer, but still was all over the place with 64 tackles, 10 sacks and even a pick six his first year at Nebraska. Gregory needs to gain strength and improve his technique, but the sky is the limit. Gregory would fit best at outside linebacker, but has the frame to pack on another 20 or 30 pounds and play end in a 4-3. An injury kept Gregory out early, but he has been as good as expected with sacks in four of his six games.

Jacksonville is the second youngest team in the NFL and will is losing games while developing Blake Bortles this year. Expect Jacksonville to draft the best player available other than quarterback next year. The pass rush has been a pleasant surprise for the Jaguars this year, but Gregory is on another level than the players Jacksonville currently has.

Scouts
say that Marcus Mariota was a better prospect than any of the
quarterbacks selected in the 2014 NFL Draft. While you always worry
about dual threat quarterbacks coming out of spread systems in college,
Mariota is more than just a runner who occasionally throws. Mariota has a
very strong arm, and has completed over 65% of his passes during his
two year career. Mariota is also a very strong, quick runner. His 6'4
frame should be able to pack on another 20 pounds at the NFL level.
Mariota projects as a more accurate Colin Kaepernick at the next level.
The success rate of Oregon quarterbacks in the NFL is poor, and
hopefully Mariota can buck that trend.

Mariota has nothing left to prove at the college level. During his three year career he has thrown 89 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. In 2014, he finally threw his first interception in a 5 touchdown performance against California.

The duo of Geno Smith and Michael Vick is sabotaging the Jets season, and may cost Rex Ryan his job. Regardless of who the front office and coaching staff is, New York simply cannot pass on Mariota here. Mariota might not be a franchise type quarterback, but the Jets have struggled for too long to find a long term answer at the position, and need to take the gamble here.

Leonard Floyd was not ruled academically eligible out of high school and had to spend a year at Hargrave Military Academy. He was a huge part of Georgia's defense as a freshman with 6.5 sacks. Floyd has a knack for getting after the quarterback. Floyd needs work as a pass defender, but has the talent to not be pigeonholed into a 3-4 defense.

Floyd was a beast in Georgia's big time win over Clemson. He stole the show with 7 tackles, 2 sacks, a forced fumble and 6 quarterback hurries. Since then he has been somewhat quiet, which could be expected from a redshirt sophomore playing on a defense with quite a few future NFL players.

No team in the NFL is underachieving as much as the Buccaneers. With several high priced free agents, Tampa Bay will most likely attempt to sign and trade their way into contention this off season. Floyd will be able to step in right away. Along with Mason Foster and Lavonte David, Tampa would have the best young linebacking trio in the league.

Shane Ray has been off to a tremendous start for the Tigers. Along with Markus Golden, Ray has terrorized opposing quarterbacks all season, notching sacks in all but two games. Ray is a first time starter as a junior and still relies more on sheer talent than technical skills. With proper development, he could be a true sack master.

The Titans have talent, but lack the personell to successfully run a 3-4 defense. Outside linebackers Derrick Morgan and Kamerion Wimbley are good against the run, but have trouble getting after the quarterback. Ray is a project and might be a part time player his first year, similar to Barkevious Mingo, but if he can develop strength he could be a pass rushing terror in a year or two.

The
Aggies have become an offensive tackle pipeline, and Cedric Ogbuehi is
the latest. Like Jake Matthews in 2013, Ogbuehi will move over to the
left side for his senior season. Ogbuehi is not as big as Luke Joeckel,
but has good athleticism and should be able to handle left tackle.

The Aggies have fell off hard in recent weeks, but that is not because of Ogbuehi, who remains a solid, veteran presence on the left side of the offensive line.

Falcons fans might not like seeing their squad select offensive lineman in the top ten back to back years, but you have to work with what the board gives you. Ogbuehi is the best prospect available, and even with Jake Matthews on board, the offensive line is a major concern. The Texas A&M duo would greatly fortify a terrible offensive line.

Marcus Peters was suspended for the Illinois game for throwing a temper tantrum on the sidelines against Eastern Washington, showing that he has some growing up to do. All the talent is there though to be a solid number one cornerback in the NFL, but he will need to step his game up and grow up, because there are several other cornerback prospects looking to knock him out of the first round.

It is no secret that the Redskins desperately need help in the secondary, and this was before DeAngelo Hall injured himself. Peters is not a finished product, but neither were other top 12 selections like Justin Gilbert or Stephon Gilmore. What Peters does have is the size and skills to be a prototypical number one cornerback. He will be drafted high.

Landon Collins is the latest in what has become a first round assembly line for Alabama safeties. He was a former top ten recruit who was as good as expected last year. He is not as good in coverage as ex Tide safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, but he is almost like another linebacker on the field thanks to his strength and ability to attack the ball carrier.

Collins has been a big reason that the Crimson Tide have held their last two opponents to 12 total points. Collins is a terror when lined up in the box, as he has racked up 24 tackles in three games.

The Bears were expected to be an explosive offensive team, but have underachieved in a big way. Still, I think they need to devote draft picks to fixing an aging defense. Collins hits like a linebacker and would be a huge upgrade over the weak safeties Chicago has been putting on the field this season.

Andrus Peat was good enough as a sophomore to move All Pac-12 tackle David Yankey inside last season. Peat offers great size and athleticism, and is very well coached.

Peat is not the athlete that Cedric Ogbuehi or Brandon Scherff is, but has had a solid junior season and has prototypical left tackle size and strength, something very few players in this class posess, and that will make him a high draft pick. The Giants might move on from the injury prone, inconsistent Will Beatty after the season.

The reining Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston will easily be the most polarizing player in college football in 2014. Winston is a physical freak of nature. He is a tremendous athlete with a very strong arm. Off the field, he has made some very questionable decisions, but nothing that plenty of 21 year old kids haven't done. On the field, his long windup on his throws will need to be fixed. Winston's game, attitude and personality will be picked apart until the day of the draft in 2015, but in my opinion he is a better pro prospect than Johnny Manziel, who still went in the first round. It will be interesting to see how this year unfolds for Winston, who has a loaded team around him.

Winston's draft stock will be wildly debated, just like Manziel in 2014. Depending on how scouts and GM's feel about him, he could be a top ten selection or fall out of the first round all together. If Jeff Fisher and the front office survive the season, I think they will be desperate enough to pull the trigger on Winston here. If you take the off the field stuff out of the equation, Winston might be a better quarterback than Marcus Mariota. For a team that needs to start winning, he is worth the gamble by St. Louis here, especially with the lack of franchise caliber quarterbacks in this class.

Brandon Scherff could have been a first round pick in 2014, and with another year of development could crack the top ten. He is a nasty, mean run blocker and scouts are calling him the best offensive tackle Kirk Ferentz has had yet at Iowa.

Iowa has struggled to start the 2014 season, and so has Scherff. He suffered a knee injury against Ball State. He showed his toughness by completing the game but had to have surgery afterwards. Iowa might not have a very good season but scouts won't forget about Scherff.

Bad salary cap management has killed the Panthers, who have holes all over the place. The retirement of Jordan Gross was the final nail in the coffin, and Carolina has had to resort to undrafted free agents to fill in at left tackle and left guard. Scherff might not be a long term left tackle, but he should be a great fit on the right side, and has All Pro potential if moved inside to guard.

Yes, you read that right. 6'9, 280. Shawn Oakman could be Terrence Jones backup for the Rockets when he is not playing end for the Texans. Oakman left Penn State following the scandal and ended up at Baylor. His frame reminds me of Calias Campbell. Like Campbell, he could offer rare sack production as a 3-4 end.

Oakman was all over the place his first game as a Bear. He had 3 tackles, 2 sacks and a forced fumble. He is still raw, but the potential is there for him to be special. This could be a guy who shoots up into the top five after scouts see him at the combine.

Houston would love to find a quarterback, but with Connor Cook expected to stay at Michigan State and Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota off the board, there simply is no one worth taking in the first round. Oakman has high bust potential but even higher star potential. He could be a mountain of a 3-4 end who is difficult to run on and can get to the quarterback. Jared Crick has simply been a body at end.

I don't necessarily buy into the theory that the running back position has been devalued in the NFL. The last two drafts just have not produced any elite talents at the position. Before that you had guys like Knowshon Moreno, CJ Spiller, Darren McFadden and Trent Richardson in the top fifteen. That first round drought will end this year, as there are several truly special backs that could be in this draft. Todd Gurley is the most complete back to come out since perhaps Adrian Peterson. He was off to a monster start before the NCAA got a hold of him for accepting money for autographs. Scouts and GM's will not mind that one bit. as Gurley has a reputation as a very high character individual, and the rest on his legs is probably a good thing.

Off the field issues could allow the Vikings to cut perhaps the best player in franchise history without a lot of fan backlash. Adrian Peterson will be a 30 year old running back who will be owed $12.75 million. That is money that could be much better spent elsewhere. I think Gurley is the best back to come out since Peterson, and would be a great replacement. Jerrick McKinnon looks like a great change of pace back, but Gurley is truly special and a player you can build an offense around.

Trae Waynes has taken over for Darqueze Dennard and is having a fantastic season, the stats do not show it, but teams simply do not throw his way. Waynes has a tendancy to free lance and lose focus, but scouts love his size and strength for the position. As we know well, cornerbacks rise on draft day, and Waynes looks like a solid first round pick.

The 49ers have taken a huge step back in 2014. There are questions as to whether Colin Kaepernick is a franchise quarterback, and if the defense can return to the levels of previous seasons. The secondary, in particular, has been hit hard by injuries and free agent defections. They were destroyed by Denver and need to find upgrades next off season.

Jaelen Strong is an athletic, lean, 6'4 receiver who had a great sophomore season. That was only his first year of Division 1A college football, but another year of experience could make the talented weapon a first round pick.

Wideout is not San Diego's biggest need, but Cooper is the best player available. Defenses have really keyed in on Keenan Allen this year, and there is no one on the other side that can make them pay. Strong is not a burner, but would be a nice compliment who can handle a lot of the underneath routes. He reminds me a lot of a younger Vincent Jackson, and is the type of tall, physical receiver Philip Rivers has enjoyed throwing to. I may be alone in this opinion, but I feel Strong will make a better NFL wide receiver than Amari Cooper.

Amari Cooper
has taken over the Robert Woods/Marqise Lee role for Lane Kiffin. Other than a 2 catch stinker against Arkansas, Cooper has hauled in at least 8 receptions in every game, and has three games of at least 189 receiving yards. Kiffin's
offense is tailor made for the NFL, and the experience will really help
Cooper.

The Amari Cooper hype train is in full gear. You recently had Cris Carter calling him the best WR prospect since Randy Moss. That is definitely going overboard. Cooper is not Sammy Watkins speed or AJ Green size, but he has sure hands and is a
very good route runner. Though his average size will keep him out of the top five, Cooper should be a solid number one or very good number two wideout. Steve Smith has been a god send for the Ravens, but he is 35 years old, and Torrey Smith has been a huge disappointment this year. Wideout is a huge need, and Ozzie Newsome loves to draft Crimson Tide prospects.

Vic Beasley had a tremendous junior season for Clemson but where does he fit in at the NFL level? He will have to play outside linebacker, but is really only a pass rusher who is going to struggle in coverage. He would be best used as a situational pass rusher until he learns how to cover.

Beasley reminds me of Bruce Irvin. He was drafted around this spot and slowly worked his way from an undersized pass rusher to a solid outside linebacker who can drop back into coverage better than previous seasons. He is a bit one dimensional, but what he does he does very well. Paul Kruger and Barkevious Mingo are better run defenders than pass rushers at this point. Beasley would be a good guy to bring in on passing downs.

DeVante Parker might be the most physically gifted receiver in this class. He has had to work through some injuries but has come out of the gate flying, including a game where he dismantled PJ Williams and Ronald Darby, the two Florida State cornerbacks who are projected to be second round prospects. Scouts will have to look over his medical records before deciding if he is worth a first round pick, but on talent alone, he is worth it.

The Dolphins offense has been much better this year, but Mike Wallace and Brian Hartline have become two extremely overpaid wide receivers. Parker and the emergence of Landry Fields could make one or both players expendable.

Spencer Drango's 2013 season was cut short by a back injury, but he has come back and been better than ever for the nation's top scoring offense. He could shoot up draft boards if he decides to declare, and his solid frame and experience at left tackle should make him a mid to late first round pick.

The Packers defense has been much maligned, but the offensive line might be the weakest unit on the football team. There is no reason that Green Bay should have over matched David Bakhtiari protecting the blind side of the most important player in the NFL. Drango should be able to unseat him relatively quickly.

The Michigan Wolverines have completely fallen apart this year, but Devin Funchess has continued to produce. He made the move to wide receiver this year, and that will greatly help his draft stock. With the recent success of guys like Mike Evans and Kelvin Benjamin, teams will be looking for big, wide targets.

Even with Josh Gordon expected to be back sooner than later, he could always remain one strike away from falling out of the league. Along with Gordon and Jordan Cameron, Funchess would be another nice, big target to have.

Alvin Dupree is the SEC's active career sacks leader, and shows solid strength and quickness for a pass rushing prospect. His signature performance was a 10 tackle 1 sack game against the top ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs, and scouts definitely took notice. Pass rushers are always on the rise, and Dupree could be a late first round pick.

The Saints only have 17 sacks on the year, and Junior Galette is the only linebacker with more than two. Dupree specializes at getting to the quarterback, and the Saints still need to find 3-4 outside linebackers who can rush the passer.

Kevin White has exploded during his second year at West Virginia, and is among the leaders in receptions and yards. His production has cooled off in recent weeks, as defenses are keying in on him and allowing other receivers to try to beat them. Still, with such a productive season, White has cemented himself as a mid to late first round pick.

I am always hesitant to mock a receiver to the Chiefs, because it is way too big of a need for Andy Reid to ever address. But the Chiefs really need someone to take the pressure off of Dwayne Bowe, and White is strong enough and has very solid hands, and would be a nice recipient of Alex Smith's 7 yard bombs.

Like the rest of the Florida Gators, Dante Fowler has not quite lived up to expectations in 2014, but is still a highly talented, versatile pass rusher who should find his way into the first round if he declares.

The Seahawks are at their best when they have a deep defensive line, and have lost some of that depth in past seasons. Fowler has the ability to play all along the line, and even move to linebacker on occasion, and would be what Bruce Irvin was to Seattle before he moved to linebacker.

The 5'10, 190 pound cornerback plays bigger than his size. He is a physical corner and very good in run defense, as evidenced by his impressive 84 tackles in 2013. Ekpre-Olomu is undersized but that is really his only main concern.

Ekpre-Olomu lacks great height (is probably close to 5'9) but is very physical and plays bigger than his size. He might be limited to nickel back duties, at least initially, which could push him down to the late first, early second round area. He would be a solid addition to a weak Steelers secondary.

Shaq Thompson is an incredible athlete. He was highly recruited as a running back, but started his career at safety before moving to linebacker. Linebackers do not often go in the first round unless they are quick and possess big time play making ability. Thompson offers just that.

Thompson has shown his all around ability already this season. He has a 14 tackle, 1 sack game to his credit, and the following week returned an interception 36 yards to the house. Not to mention he has been the Huskies main running back the past few weeks. His athleticism would play well at outside linebacker, where his speed and strength would be quite an asset to a Dallas Cowboys defense that has lost a plethora of linebackers.

Eddie Goldman has taken over for Timmy Jernigan and has become a better NFL prospect than the former Seminole. He leads Florida State in tackles for loss and sacks, and has the size and quickness to be a complete 3-4 defensive end.

The Colts have been relying on average talents like Corey Redding and Ricky Jean-Francois to hold down their defensive line. Goldman could give the Colts some actual pass rushing ability from the defensive end position.

Dorial Green-Beckham is a tough prospect to figure out. On talent alone, he might be the most impressive wide receiver prospect since Randy Moss. He is 6'6, 225 speedster who could be a matchup nightmare. But like Moss, he must overcome several off the field incidents, the worst of which is a domestic abuse incident. With the image troubles that the NFL is going through right now, teams will be extremely weary of adding that distraction to their roster.

However, there comes a point where the potential outweighs the risk. The Bengals are one team that has given chances to troubled individuals in the past. Pairing Green-Beckham with AJ Green and the young, talented running backs would be awfully tempting. -----28. Detroit LionsRB Melvin Gordon, Jr, Wisconsin6'1, 207 lbsHometown: Kenosha, WA2014 Stats: 173 rushes, 1296 yards, 18 TD

The Badgers have sent quite a few running backs to the NFL in recent history. What separates Melvin Gordon from the others is he is a true home run threat. He is not as good as Todd Gurley, but is in the second tier by himself. Hopefully for Gordon's sake he makes it through the season unharmed, because the Wisconsin coaching staff is feeding him non stop.

The Lions have become a defensive powerhouse who needs to add more talent on offense to make up for the loss of Calvin Johnson, either by injury or opposing game plans. Reggie Bush is nearing 30 years old and Joique Bell has struggled with injuries during his career. Gordon would be a great breakaway threat on that Detroit turf.

Arik Armstead is a huge, versatile athlete who could play either defensive or offensive line at the next level. He is still a project, but has done a good job all along Oregon's defensive line. The talent is worth taking in the late first or early second round.

Chip Kelly recruited Armstead to Oregon, and happens to have a need at defensive end opposite Fletcher Cox. Armstead might have a "redshirt" rookie season like Marcus Smith, but could develop into quite a weapon at end.

La'El Collins has a great deal of experience all along the LSU offensive line, but his lack of athleticism and pass blocking skills will probably limit him to right tackle or guard. I like him the best as a run grating inside blocker.

There are not any players available here that will provide the deep Broncos with immediate help, but Collins could help make up for the loss of Orlando Franklin, who will be a free agent after the season and might move on.

Safety has been the position to really rise on draft day. Few people thought Deone Buchannon and Jimmy Ward were going to be first round picks, and there could be other surprises next season. Cody Prewitt has been the leader of an Ole' Miss defense that has exceeded expectations this year. He is a good tackler and a ball hawk at safety.

Patrick Chung has been the safety that Bill Belichick has not been able to quit, and is the weak link on defense. Belichick has spent a lot of early draft picks on safeties, with little results. Prewitt could be the answer.

Benardrick McKinney has his weak points. He is not overly quick or athletic, or tremendous in coverage. But he is big, can rush the passer and stick his nose in the pile and pop the ball carrier.

He is the perfect candidate for a playoff team to trade down to the second round and draft, but he would be a great fit for a Cardinals team that has desperately missed Karlos Dansby and can no longer count on Daryl Washington to stay on the field.